During the Second World War, millions of people of different nationalities, including about six million Jews, died at the hands of the Nazis and their accomplices. The persecution and extermination of the Jewish population of Europe was not a spontaneous manifestation of anti-Semitism that has long been ingrained in the German people. The thoughtfulness and detailed elaboration of measures aimed at the complete extermination of Jews have been proven in war criminal trials.
The problem of this study is a detailed and thorough study of the physical and mental consequences of the Holocaust on people who survived this terrible period of history. This research is conducted in various academic papers and articles on the problems faced by victims of the Holocaust. A particular focus is made on analyzing the increased risk of suicide because, after experiencing such shocks, victims become less religious.
Key terms: the Holocaust, mental and physical consequences, anxiety, PTSD, disorders.
Thesis Statement: After the Holocaust the prominent physical and psychological effects victims dealt with are anxiety and depressive disorders, sleep disturbances or PTSD, and victims may become less religious. It can lead to higher suicide rates and their religion is in danger of becoming extinct.
The Holocaust, in the narrow sense, is the persecution and mass extermination of Jews who lived in Germany, on the territory of its allies, and in the territories occupied by them during the Second World War. The catastrophe began in Germany with the rise of the Nazis to power and ended shortly before the unconditional surrender of the Nazi Reich. Inspired by Adolf Hitler, the policy of the Reich was systematically implemented by the Nazi party apparatus, state and public institutions of Germany.
The phenomenon of the Holocaust is still considered a unique phenomenon because, throughout history, there has not been such a deliberate, systematic, and widespread destruction of an entire people. Thus, this tragedy caused irreparable physical and psychological damage to hundreds of thousands of people. It is proved that the victims were subjected to physical and mental violence, experienced malnutrition, insomnia, which led to severe disorders, cases of PTSD, and lack of faith.
The survivors found themselves in terrible conditions that significantly affected their future lives. An article by Sharon et al. (2009) provides qualitative analysis and assessment of the consequences of the emotional stress of Holocaust victims. The authors demonstrate the intense vulnerability of people who have gone through such a test since almost everyone experiences severe psychological and physical disorders. A similar study was conducted by Barak and Szor (2000), which shows that the Holocaust is still the most traumatic and stressful event in the lives of victims. This crime is unforgivable cruelty, as it broke the lives of millions of innocent people who are still painfully experiencing its consequences.
However, the Holocaust affected the psychological aspects of the victims and contributed to some physical changes. The study authored by Tori (2015) delves into why this tragedy changed stress hormones in the descendants of stress. The results proved that the descendants of Holocaust victims are less stress-resistant and more susceptible to various mental disorders. It becomes evident that the Holocaust continues to affect human lives, leaving its mark even after several generations, as it is the cause of the unstable mental state of the descendants of the victims.
Thus, the Holocaust is a tragedy that should never be forgotten. In addition, it is necessary to consider the impact of this event, which it has to this day on the victims and their descendants. After the Holocaust, victims’ prominent physical and psychological effects are anxiety and depressive disorders, sleep disturbances, or PTSD, and victims may become less religious. It can lead to higher suicide rates, and their religion is in danger of becoming extinct. This topic is promising for further study, as it opens up the possibility of analyzing the long-term effects of stress on human psychology and physiology. This study may help develop methods for diagnosing and combating anxiety and PTSD caused by the Holocaust and other similar global catastrophes.
Works Cited
Sharon, Asaf, et al. “Psychiatric disorders and other health dimensions among Holocaust survivors 6 decades later.” The British Journal of Psychiatry 195.4 (2009): 331-335. Web.
Barak, Yoram, and Henry Szor. “Lifelong posttraumatic stress disorder: evidence from aging Holocaust survivors.” Dialogues in clinical neuroscience 2.1 (2000): 57.
Rodriguez, Tori. “Descendants of Holocaust survivors have altered stress hormones.” Scientific American Mind 26.2 (2015): 10-10.